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Why Photographs Work: 52 Great Images Who Made Them, What Makes Them Special and Why [Amazon] by George Barr, Rocky Nook 1 edition (December 28, 2010)

About the Book

Every photographer, from weekend enthusiast to professional, can learn by studying the "greats". In Why Photographs Work, author/photographer George Barr analyzes 52 striking images by some of the world's top photographers. Accompanying Barr's analysis of each image is an explanation by the photographer describing the circumstances of making the image, including not only the how, but also the why. Also included is each photographer's biography, a reference to his or her websites and publications, and brief technical descriptions of the equipment used in making each image.

With guidance from Barr, we learn to decipher that certain intangible "something" that makes an image go beyond the ordinary. As we gain an understanding of and appreciation for the elements that make an image truly great, we are bound to improve our own images as well.

Included are images by: Charles Cramer, Bruce Barnbaum, Harald Mante, Dan Burkholder, Nick Brandt, Hans Strand, Roman Loranc, Huntington Witherill, Susan Burnstine, Ryuijie, Beth Moon, Phil Borges, Shaun O'Boyle, David Ward, Michael Levin, Michael Reichmann, Michael Kenna, Cole Thompson, George Jerkovich, Bengt Ekelberg, Sandra Davis, Brian Kosoff, Joe Lipka, Gordon Lewis, Lawrence Chrismas, Craig Richards, and many more.

About the Author

George Barr is a photographer living in Calgary, Canada. Serious about photography since age 12, working initially with a WWII Zeiss Ikonta in a basement-bathroom "darkroom", he has progressed through medium format, 4X5, and now digital SLR's. He earns his living as a family doctor with a special interest in psychiatry but his primary passion has always been the fine art print.

Major milestones include learning to make quality prints from Fred Picker, learning to really "see" photographs from Hubert Hohn of the Edmonton Art Gallery, looking at Edward Weston prints bare, attending workshops, working with galleries, and being published.

George has had his images published in the magazines Black and White Photography, Black and White, Focus, Lenswork, and Outdoor Photography.

By the time George closed his darkroom, he was making very high quality prints and carried on this quality with digital cameras and inkjet printing, producing some of the finest inkjet prints made, surprising many traditional 4X5 photographers with the level of quality.

Throughout his life George has been a teacher of medical students & residents, patients, and fellow photographers. A writer of understandable patient newsletters and handouts, it was a short step to writing essays on photography. George has bravely tackled the challenging subjects of aesthetics, seeing, and composing in a style that is clear, practical, and applicable to many.

Photography Book Review

Barr attempts a modern-day take on such classics as Looking at Photographs: 100 Pictures from the Collection of The Museum of Modern Art [Amazon] and Examples: The Making of 40 Photographs [Amazon] (both of which have certainly left very big shoes to fill). While there have been a few notable attempts to fill this gap there really hasn't been a book that's come along and thrust itself right smack on the top of the heap. This book does that and makes no apologies about it.

When we look at photographs we are often drawn to some images more than others. What makes them more compelling? What makes them work?

Barr answers these questions in an art criticism that draws you in almost as much as the beautifully reproduced photographs. His understanding of composition, light, and technique paired with his ability to put words to paper make this art criticism book shine.

Barr takes careful consideration in choosing fifty-two extraordinary photographs to critique. All photographs were chosen from living photographers which allowed Barr to yield the floor to those photographers in a short description of their own on their process behind capturing their image. This added layer of information helps to propel this book beyond what Barr could have done on his own.

This book is for...

The artist inside every photographer or photography fan who has ever been captured in the lure of a really great photograph.

Conclusion

This photography book belongs on your shelf. It's sure to be an instant classic.

I flipped through this book when I first received it just devouring the images themselves. They're stunning on their own. I then went back to read Barr's descriptions of the photographs and the photographers' own words on those images. It takes time to really consume this book. That's a good thing. It draws you in and will likely draw you back as it has done to me over the past few weeks.

I'm giving this book on photography a

5 out of 5!

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